While staying in Helsinki, a day trip to Porvoo will surely put a smile on your face. You have many options to get there. The easiest way is booking transfers with Royal Line at the South Harbour of Helsinki. You can book a bus or a boat transfer or a combination of both. I went by bus (1 hour) and returned by boat (3 hours on board the Royal Cat). Whatever option you decide on, you will always have 3 hours in Porvoo. The price is 39 € for all return ticket options. If you want to save money or need more time in Porvoo, you should check out regular buses that run frequently all day long (http://www.matkahuolto.fi/en/).
Next time, I will try to find accommodation in Porvoo because I enjoyed myself and its pretty little old town so much. Like pearls on a string shops, galleries, restaurants and cafés in nostalgic houses painted in many colours will delight your senses. Three hours were enough to walk the streets, visit the cathedral and browse the most appealing design shops, but not enough to have lunch or even just some piece of cake. When you love fashion, you will hear the ticking of the clock even louder while trying on fancy clothes.
No matter how limited your time will be, one thing you should not miss is having chocolate ice-cream at the little chocolate factory Lilla Chokladfabriken/Pieni Suklaatehdas! I will surely be back to have another cup of wonderful white chocolate ice-cream and to discover some more hidden gems at a more leisurely pace.
Taking your time and paying good attention is always advisable: in 1760, a woman of Porvoo very likely did not pay that much attention while cooking fish soup. The fire she caused in her kitchen burnt down most of Porvoo´s wooden residential houses and warehouses. Those buildings left along the winding cobbled alleys tell us about Porvoo´s prosperity and flourishing trading history of times gone by so long ago ... read more